PSA: I tried ditching my car for a full winter here in Minneapolis and my electric bill went up $85 a month from using more transit and staying home.

I figured I'd save on gas and parking but didn't account for the extra bus fare, Uber rides when the trains were delayed, and cranking the heat way higher since I wasn't warming up the car on my commute - has anyone else had their savings totally backfire like this?

2 comments

2 Comments

parker_bell9d ago

Right? The heat thing sneaks up on you so bad. I did the same thing in my town last fall and felt super dumb when I realized I was basically paying to heat my house instead of my car. And yeah, people always think the bus or train is the cheap option but then you add up the Uber rides for when the schedule just doesn't line up, and oof. It's like you gotta plan every single trip way more carefully or you blow your whole budget.

felix_jones9d ago

Oh man, the "cranking the heat way higher" part is so real. I did the same thing last winter in Chicago and my electric bill jumped just like yours. People don't realize your car is basically a mobile heater that warms you up for free compared to keeping your apartment toasty all day. Plus all those extra Uber rides really add up fast, they're way more expensive than people think. You definitely aren't alone in this backfire situation.